The phrase "birds delight" occurs in The Rape of the Lock. An Herio-Comical Poem (1712) by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) and was published in The Works of Alexander Pope (1736). In Canto III, the speaker praises his victories in war or battle by proclaiming the following lines:
"Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine,
(The Victor cry'd) the glorious Prize is mine!
While fish in streams, or birds delight in air..."

    Edward Ward (1667-1731) also uses the phrase "birds delight" in Nuptial Dialogues and Debates (1723). For the complete title of Nuptial Dialogues and Debates, click here. In "Dialogue XXII, A Pastoral Dialogue between Coridon a Shepherd, and his Wife Phillis, concerning the Innocent Pleasures of a Rural Life,"  Coridon the shepherd describes to his wife the peace of being beneath a shade, and Phillis, the wife, acquiesces by saying, "The Musick of the Birds delight my Ears..." and is thankful for God granting them such gracious happiness.

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